Ravenloft - where is it and how do you get there?

[Havrik Stoneskimmer]

I put barovia north of the netir vale, though if I were to do it again, I would put it somewhere along the dawnforge mountains.

If my campaign makes it far enough (I'm hoping to adapt I6 as the capstone for heroic tier) I plan to turn the village of Nenlast into Barovia, with Castle Ravenloft located on a cliff looming above it (essentially an extension of the Dawnforge Mountains, although the map doesn't show them coming quite so close to Nenlast).

I'm not sure if I will run him as "the" Strahd or just a vampire lord that happens to live in a castle with the same floorplan as Ravenloft. Probably the latter, although I'm sure some of my players will catch on to what I'm doing.

 

[malraux]

If my campaign makes it far enough (I'm hoping to adapt I6 as the capstone for heroic tier) I plan to turn the village of Nenlast into Barovia, with Castle Ravenloft located on a cliff looming above it (essentially an extension of the Dawnforge Mountains, although the map doesn't show them coming quite so close to Nenlast).

I'm not sure if I will run him as "the" Strahd or just a vampire lord that happens to live in a castle with the same floorplan as Ravenloft. Probably the latter, although I'm sure some of my players will catch on to what I'm doing.

FWIW, there are "two" Strahds: the unkillable vampire lord imprisoned by the Dark Powers in the mists of the Demiplane of Dread and the end boss of I6:Ravenloft who was a vampire who also had class levels. If you are running some variant of I6, you might as well let them kill Strahd.

 

[Estlor]

That's the route my campaign sketch goes. Since the overall arc is something like KoS -> Filler -> EtCR -> ToH -> Gentleman Caller, the idea is each time the PCs take out the big bad they're after, they'll peel back a layer and find someone else behind it.

It works out. They spend heroic chasing down some cultists. Then paragon they go after Strahd, the sovereign of an entire domain. Then epic they go after Azalin, a wizard-lich with world-altering plans. Then the campaign capstone is against the Gentleman Caller, who I'm casting as the deposed He Who Once Was (4e's version of Satan).

(Yeah, I realize putting Azalin over Strahd is a bit jarring, but 1. I'm not running Ravenloft the setting and 2. If I'm stealing my favorite bits and pieces from Ravenloft the setting I may as well replace the lich in ToH with the best-known lich in Ravenloft. And there plans aren't all that different when you compare Azalin to the 4e version of Acerak.)

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

You can still use the Shadowfell Domain of Dread idea. It is QUITE easy for PCs to cross over into the Shadowfell. There are 'shadowfalls', portals, and even a level 6 ritual that will let you open a shadow passage in "the right kind of spot". Drop the ritual into the library, have the PCs also find out where the correct spot to cast it is, and presto, they're in Barovia.

Actually I think MotP has some minor mention of the Domains of Dread. There was also an adventure set in one in one issue of Dungeon (I forget the name of the adventure). Open Grave actually has info on Strahd (complete statblock). I don't recall if it elaborates on the domains though, it wasn't really focused on the Shadowfell much. Presumably Gloomwrought will at least touch on this subject some though.

 

[Stumblewyk]

Regarding the Shadowfell/Domain of Dread concept: apparently, Wizards is releasing Domain of Dread: Histhaven on Free RPG Day this year. It's a pocket domain, in the Shadowfell, and they're outright naming it as a Domain of Dread. Sure seems like the 4e incarnation of Ravenloft is somewhere trapped in the Shadowfell to me.

 

[Herschel]

Cool, I may have to make an even greater effort to get early to free RPG Day.

 

[dragonwarriorfan]

OK - original poster here. The Ship of Horrors was perfect to "get us to Barovia." I had them take off from a port near Fallcrest on a mission to locate the lost guild of the Lightbringers. Once there, they'll make contact with Ashlyn and I'll run I6 as using one of the 6 Strahd scenarios - probably the one where he is looking for allies (its not in front of me now). We got to day 4 of the sea voyage during our first session and the PCs love it.

 

[Havrik Stoneskimmer]

FWIW, there are "two" Strahds: the unkillable vampire lord imprisoned by the Dark Powers in the mists of the Demiplane of Dread and the end boss of I6:Ravenloft who was a vampire who also had class levels. If you are running some variant of I6, you might as well let them kill Strahd.

Yeah, I might as well use his name just for the "gravitas" although I will have to stat him up myself - the level 20 solo in Open Grave is too tough for four level 10 PCs.

I'd like to do a version closer to the original idea of Strahd being a magic-user vampire. Maybe a gloom pact warlock with the vampire lord template or something...